Improved portable tobacco-press



4WILLIAM s. FORD, or EvA'NsvI'LLn, INDIANA,

Letters Patent No. 103,860, dated Jane 1870.

IMPnovnn PORTABLE: ToBAcco-Pnnss.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and vmaking part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern. p l

Beit known that I,WILLIAM S. FORD, of Evansville, countyof Vanderburgand State of' Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement iuPortable Tobacco-Press; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable othersskilled in the art to make'aud use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing formingpart of this' specification, in which-Figure l is a side view of my improved press, illustratiug itsoperation, part being broken away to show the construction.

Figure 2 is-a. top view of the same, partlyin section, thr'ough the line:t x, iig. 1. v

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the same.-

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invent-ion has for its object to furnish a simple, strong, andconvenient press designed especially for pressing leaf tobacco into thehogsheads, and which shall be so constructed that the entire strain maybe borneby the tobacco being pressed; and

lt consists in the construction and combination of the various parts ofthe press, as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the base frame of the press, which is made triangular in form, orof other convenient shape, with its angles or arms projecting to receivethe eyes formed upon the lower ends of the rods B.

To the upper side o f the frame A is attached a circular bottom orbearing, C, which should beof such a thickness, or should have bars cplaced beneath it, upon the frame A, as to raise thev said bottom C tosucha height that the bottom of the hogshead may rest upon the bottom C,so that'the chines of the hogshead may not touch the frame A. Or thebearing C may be omitted, and the base frame A so formed that the bottomof the hogshead may 'rest upon said frame, the chines or ends of thestares being left free.

The rods B extend up alongthevsidesof the hogshead or Cask, and. haveeyes 'also formed upon their upper ends to receive the ends of the frameD.

The/rods B should be only enough longer than the height of the hogsheadto allow the tobacco to be convenientlyput into said hogshead below theframe f D, which may be made with two, three, or more arms, as may bedesired.

Through the center of the armed frame D is formed a hole for the passageof the screw E, the screw-threads to receive which may be cut in thesurface of the said hole, or in a nut, F, inserted in said hole, andkept in place by a set-screw, G, as shown in iig. 2.

*"he nut Fis inserted from the lo'wer side of said frame D, and has astrong ange formed upon its llower end, which rests againstV the lowerside of the said frame D, and thus receives. the strain.'v

This latter construction I prefer, as it enables the armed frame D toYbe easily and cheaply made of cast metal, while the nut proper in whichthe screw-thread is cut is made of' a tougher metal.

' The screw E is made with a large head having holes formed through itto receive the lever H by means of which it is run up and down.'

The screw E is requiredto be made comparatively short, so that, when runup, the lever H may not be out of the reach of a man' standing upon theground.

lhe rods B are secured in place upon the ends of the frames A and D bypins or screws I passing through the ends of the said frames, as shownin figs. l, 2, and 3.

In using the pressl oneman enters the hogshead and packs the tobacco,while another, standing upon the ground, hands it tohim. When thehogshead has been filled in this way the follower J is placed upon 'thetop of the tobacco, andthe 'screw E iszrun 'dowm -The sci-ew isthen .runback'quickly, and blocks K are placed beneath it upon y"the follower J,and so on until the tobacco in the hogshead has been suicientlycompressed. The screw is then run up, the blocks and follower removed,and the hogshead again packed with tobacco, which tobacco is compressedin the manner hcreinbet'ore described, about three packings bcingrequired to lill the h ogshead.

By this construction the press receives all the strain,

'there being no vertical, and very little lateral pressure upon thestaves of the hogshead.

By this construction a light, strong, and 'convenient press is produced,which may be easily vtaken apart and packed insmall compass for storageor transportation, and which will enable the tobacco to be readilypacked upon the spot where it is cured.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters herein shown anddescribed and for thc' purpose set` forth.

' `2.' The circular' raised bottom or bearing G, in coinbination withbase A, rodsB, frame D, screw E, nut F, and follower J, all arrangedsubstantially as shown and described, whereby the pressure is applieddirectly to the top of the tobacco with a direct counter-pressure uponits bottom, the staves of the cask being entirely free from strain, 'asset forth.

' WM. S. FOR-D.

Witnesses:

J os. Monats, H. BUTTS.

